


Take Me Home

by Yumi_Cake



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Hybrid!AU, Hybrids, M/M, Xiuyeol - Freeform, its just 6k worth of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 01:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumi_Cake/pseuds/Yumi_Cake
Summary: Minseok is a cat person who wants nothing more than a Korean Bobtail hybrid.Chanyeol is a Pharaoh Hound hybrid who wants nothing more than to be adopted by Minseok.





	Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> hello guys!! I would like to say thanks a bunch to the mods for creating this fest (there needs to be more xiuyeol honestly) and to the prompter for sending in this adorable prompt. I knew I had to snatch it up as soon as I saw it! (random fact: this was actually quite fun to write since I used to own a pharaoh hound myself, so the first breed I thought of regarding Chanyeol was a pharaoh hound!!) I also want to thank my friends K and I for helping me with ideas and fueling my soft xiuyeol addiction. I hope all of you enjoy reading my fic!~

Minseok doesn’t initially have the intention to adopt a hybrid when he visits the pet store that evening.

 

Dropping by is something he’ll do on occasion, looking over the pets and hybrids that the store carries, just _in case_ there’s something that suits his fancy. He’s been living alone in his apartment in a neighborhood where it seems _everyone_ has a pet or hybrid of some kind, and he will admit that it does get lonely on his days off with no one else to talk to. So it isn’t as if he doesn’t _want_ a pet or hybrid.

 

However, nostalgia of his childhood does nag at his mind frequently, which is the only hindrance to him immediately adopting. As a young boy, he’s always fancied cats. Their overall temperament and behavior is something he believes matches his perfectly. He prefers how laidback and mellow they are, compared to how overactive and needy dogs can be. He even recalls the fond memories of his old family cat, Marshmallow, which was an adorable Korean bobtail. So even now as an adult, he’s adamant about getting another one.

 

Minseok has paid the place enough visits to know the layout like the back of his hand, but he still takes a leisure pace in strolling through the other areas that contain different species of hybrids, curiously looking around at the new and colorful breeds casually lounging around in their enclosures.

 

He halts before he can make it to the end of an aisle, a pair of pointed brown ears sitting atop tousled white hair, and short tail getting his attention before he has a chance to make it to the section where the cat hybrids are held. He stops in front of the pen, and almost instantly the hybrid inside takes notice. Immediately, the bobtail bounds over excitedly, and Minseok takes notice of how _tall_ he is. His pointed ears are also larger than a cat’s, but he remembers that this  _is_ a hybrid. A very tall hybrid who probably just has large ears.

 

Excitedly, the hybrid presses his face against the glass, large brown eyes fixated on Minseok, a large smile plastered on that _adorable_ face. Minseok, ever so playfully, tilts his head, and snorts when the bobtail follows suit. They repeat the action a few times, Minseok watching in amusement as the goofy bobtail mimics his every move eagerly. Briefly, Minseok tears his eyes away from the hybrid to lean and take a look at the information on his pen. Each pen usually has a clipboard that states the hybrid’s information, but his brows furrow in confusion as he sees no paper for this particular hybrid.

 

Standing back up, he crosses his arms as he looks over the hybrid, now sitting down and watching Minseok curiously. He’s more than positive that the hybrid before him is a Korean Bobtail. If his pointed ears and stubby tail wasn’t enough of an indication, his playful and curious disposition was a sure sign. Although, he does find it a bit odd that the bobtail is so far away from the other cat hybrids, but assumes there’s a specific reason why they’d put a cat hybrid with dog hybrids. He offers the hybrid another smile and a wave, before he’s walking over to the desk at the front of the store.

 

Minseok plays with his hands, a habit he’d developed as a child that shows itself whenever he’s excited. “Hi, I’m really interested in adopting that Korean bobtail you guys have.”

 

The man working at the counter looks up, his sleepy eyes drifting from the monitor of his computer over to Minseok in a look of slight confusion.

 

 _It’s fitting he works here,_ Minseok muses internally. _He looks like a sleepy puppy._

 

“Wait-- What? What Korean bobtail?”

 

“You know...the one in that pen near the toys.” Minseok jerks his thumb back, gesturing to the area he had just come from.

 

The employee seems to consider his words for a moment, before speaking again. “You mean the tall one that’s really playful?”

 

Minseok nods. “Yeah, him.”

 

The employee stands from his seat, peering over at the pen. He laughs as he notices the hybrid peeking from over the bottom of the pen’s glass, watching them both with wide, inquisitive eyes, his hands perched on the edge of the window. His large brown ears twitch every few seconds.

 

“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, sir, but that’s a pharaoh hound hybrid.” The employee turns from the pen to look at Minseok.

 

“A pharaoh hound hybrid?”

 

“He’s a dog hybrid, sir. We recently got him in.”

 

The whole blank paper at his pen makes sense now. That, and why he’s grouped with the rest of the dog hybrids.

 

“Wait, aren’t dogs supposed to have long tails?”

 

Minseok isn’t clueless about dogs. He knows a few common name breeds and his knowledge about dogs is enough to get him by on knowing that some breeds have naturally docked tails. But even so, he’s never seen a dog in person with a short tail, especially one that is outside the few breeds he can recall.

 

“Ah, pharaoh hounds typically do, sir. But Chanyeol over there had an accident when he was a pup and had to get his docked.”

 

“ _Oh_ , I see.” Minseok looks back at the _dog_ hybrid, who’s still watching him with those wide eyes, just barely poking his head over the visible part of the pen door.

 

He feels bad for suddenly losing interest, but he wants a _cat_ hybrid, not a dog. It isn’t that Minseok dislikes dogs, he actually likes them, but not enough to adopt one. He's more than willing to play with a dog while he's at a friend's house, but he doesn't think he could keep one with him, let alone a dog hybrid. Turning back to the employee, he nods his head with a faint smile. “I’ll keep looking. Thanks for your help, though.”

 

The employee gives him a small smile as he slips back into his seat, resting his cheek onto his fist. “Not a problem, sir. If you need anything, my name’s Jongin.”

 

After giving Jongin another ‘thanks’, he makes one a quick round through the pens containing the cat hybrids, looking over all the breeds, none of them, however, containing any bobtails. He lets out a sigh, figuring he could always come back in the following days to see if any come in in the following days, and leaves.

 

___

 

Curiously, Chanyeol looks around the pet shop, eyes rapidly scanning his surroundings as much as he can for his new _friend._ He leans closer to the door, and forgetting about the glass there, effectively _bonks_ his head with a dull _thump_. He recoils with a whimper, hands tenderly holding his forehead. He only looks up when he hears someone approach, and looks up to reveal Jongin. He opens the door and bends down to get eye-level with Chanyeol.

 

“You okay, Yeol?” He asks, giving the hybrid a gentle smile as he reaches to rub at the spot Chanyeol accidentally hit.

 

Chanyeol likes Jongin. Even though he’s a relatively new employee who’d been hired back when Chanyeol came in a few months ago, Chanyeol had instantly warmed up to him and his sweet personality. Not like that matters, since Chanyeol likes everyone. But he likes Jongin the most.

 

When he’s on his breaks, he spends his time talking to the hybrids, who he speaks to as if they’re friends. Sometimes he’ll even sit in the pens with them and share his lunch, which usually consists of some sort of chicken related dish. While Chanyeol is friends with some of the other hybrids in the shop, it’s nice to be able to chat with someone who he knows will be there for at least longer than a few weeks.

 

He nods, injury all but forgotten as he sits up on his knees to lean out of the pen and peek into the now empty store.

 

“Where’d the guy go? The one that was just here?” He asks, wide eyes scanning the surrounding area, unconsciously leaning into Jongin so much that the two topple over. Jongin releases a loud squawk as he falls back, but Chanyeol remains unfazed, quickly sitting up and looking further into the empty aisle. He then looks to the clock which reads 8:32; almost closing time. No doubt, the man probably left since it was so late.

 

Jongin looks up as he sees the hybrid sit back down with a pout, his ears drooping as he stares at the door to the shop. “Aw, don’t pout, Chanyeol. I’m sure he’ll be back.” Jongin smiles, lifting his hand to gently tousle the white locks. He doesn’t have the heart to tell Chanyeol that the man had specifically asked for a cat hybrid, especially that he had lost interest upon finding out Chanyeol was _not_ a Korean bobtail. He knows he shouldn’t get Chanyeol’s hopes up, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself for making the lovable hybrid sad.

 

The pharaoh hound hybrid lets out a sigh and nods, getting up to move back into his cozy enclosure. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He offers Jongin a smile as he plops into his large nest of pillows and blankets. He knows the pet shop doesn’t close for another 20 minutes or so, but with the store empty and his lack of interest in anything else other than the cute man with the feline eyes, he settles for getting comfortable before Jongin leaves for the night.

 

Before Jongin leaves, he gives Chanyeol a wave, marking his departure and shuts off the lights and locks the doors. As the hybrid lays atop his pile of blankets, he can’t help but think about the man before he falls asleep. It’s always exciting to interact with customers, have them stop and look at him, but this stranger was different. Chanyeol can’t exactly pinpoint what makes this man so intriguing.

 

As he falls asleep, he finds himself hoping that Jongin is right, and that the stranger will return to the pet shop soon.

 

___

 

It seems in the following month, Minseok makes it a habit of dropping by the shop. Not like he’s counting, but he knows his visits have been frequent enough that he and Jongin know each other on a first name basis, and they exchange pleasant conversation while Minseok is there. He’s not sure why, but he feels himself gravitate towards the shop every time he’s in the area. Sure, Minseok, like many people, always stop to ogle at the cute hybrids near the front of the building, but never before has he had such an intense desire to go in, let alone go in regularly. He chalks it up to having watched so many cat videos on the internet recently, and that it’s only fueling his desire to get a cat hybrid.

 

The visits usually play out the same way. Minseok usually comes in, either asking Jongin if any new cat hybrids have come in, or looking throughout the pens himself. But even if he’s only there for bobtails, he still finds himself passing by the enclosure by the toy rack. It’s not as if he’s doing it on purpose, but in his wandering he’ll find himself making his way towards the pen automatically. And even when he’s just talking with Jongin at the desk near the front, he can’t help but always look back at Chanyeol’s enclosure, unconsciously smiling as he notices the other having an afternoon nap, or talking animatedly with another hybrid.

 

In some cases, when Chanyeol spots him, he'll offer the hybrid a smile and a small wave, to which Chanyeol responds with an excited wave of his own. Sometimes he'll even try to show the other a trick, or sits there and watches with interest over what Minseok is doing. Minseok finds it  _awfully_ endearing and cute.

 

But with each visit, and no bobtails, Minseok always exits the pet shop by himself.

 

And from a pen in the corner, bright eyes follow his form out every time.

 

___

 

Surprisingly, for sitting in the pens for most of the day, Chanyeol rarely finds himself getting bored.

 

There’s lots for him to do throughout the day. He starts his mornings cleaning up his pen, putting away his blankets and pillows onto the bed provided, and his small rilakkuma plush he always sleeps with. Usually it’s late into the morning, following into the afternoon that the shop is at its busiest, which means he’s required to stay in his enclosure until the business dies down a bit. It doesn’t bother him, since he has other hybrids to talk to who reside next door, a little window provided for them to chat if they so please. Once the amount of customers begins to dwindle as the afternoon rolls around to early evening, hybrids are usually allowed to roam around the shop for a bit. Chanyeol takes this time to talk more with other hybrids (and Jongin) and even help the employees with simple tasks, like cleaning food trays and tidying up the store.

 

So even with Chanyeol finding ways to keep himself preoccupied, he never misses when Minseok arrives.

 

With lots of nagging (and definitely lots of begging with his cute puppy eyes), Chanyeol had managed to get Jongin to tell him about the stranger who’d come in weeks ago.

 

“His name’s Minseok,” Jongin says over a mouthful of chicken wings, handing a piece to Chanyeol who takes it gratefully, “He keeps dropping by because he’s looking to adopt a bobtail hybrid.” They’re currently at the back of the store sharing the employee’s lunch. Sometimes Jongin comes over on his days off, like today, just to hang out with Chanyeol. It’s a notion the hybrid really appreciates.

 

“A...bobtail hybrid. You mean like a cat?” Chanyeol wonders aloud through a mouth of garlic pepper chicken. Jongin nods. “Then...why’d he stop by my pen the first time he saw me? I’m not with the other cat hybrids because I’m definitely not a cat.”

 

“You looked like one.” Jongin gestures to Chanyeol’s tail with a jerk of his head. “He thought your docked tail meant you were a bobtail. And we were updating your papers, so they hadn’t been up on the board.”

 

Silently, the hybrid turns to stare at his tail, watching as the small brown nub wags and messes with the folds of his large sweater. Jongin laughs at how Chanyeol seems to become transfixed with the appendage the longer he stares at it.

 

“So you’re saying,” Chanyeol suddenly says, turning to the other with a contemplative look, “,that he didn’t want to adopt me because I’m not a cat hybrid?”

 

Jongin hesitantly nods. He can’t really _disagree_ , Chanyeol is completely right. But he’d avoided saying it in such a straightforward manner to prevent from hurting the hybrid’s feelings. Chanyeol simply nods, looking down for a moment before he reaches over for another chicken wing and eats without uttering another word.

 

After a few minutes of silent munching, Chanyeol turns back to Jongin with a suddenly serious expression, looking almost _worried._

 

“Jongin…” Chanyeol whispers, as if he’s afraid of being heard. It’s really uncharacteristic of him, since even when Chanyeol whispers, he’s _loud._ But right now, he’s so quiet that Jongin has to strain to hear him over his own obnoxious chewing. “Jongin….do you...do you think I’ll ever get adopted?”

 

 _This_ gets Jongin to stop chewing, looking up at his friend with a concerned look of his own. Although Jongin’s been here about as long as Chanyeol, he’s gotten to know the dog hybrid well in those few months. Chanyeol’s usually in a good mood, always bubbly and happy. Never once has he ever seemed seriously upset about something, and even the moments where he does seem to be sad never last long. He’s never heard Chanyeol sounds this bothered about something.

 

But right now, with the look of desperation the other has in his eyes, he looks almost scared of something.

 

The look kind of breaks Jongin’s heart.

 

The topic of adoption hasn’t really been brought up between him and Chanyeol. While Jongin likes Chanyeol enough to consider him a close friend, and likes spending time with the tall pharaoh hound hybrid, he still hopes that someone will adopt Chanyeol. He _knows_ it’s going to happen.

 

While Chanyeol’s size alone could imply him to be one of the more intimidating dog hybrids, his baby face, large eyes, and endless well of affection surely is enough to win over the heart of anyone who sees him. Customers adore the hybrid, adore his infectious smile and his playfulness that makes him seem even more like a grown puppy. Even Jongin himself had given in to his demands for attention without resistance. So it isn’t the matter of _if_ Chanyeol will get adopted, because Jongin knows it’ll happen for sure. It’s just a matter of _when._

 

“Yeol,” Jongin reaches up with his clean hand to run his fingers behind Chanyeol’s ears, “Of course you’ll get adopted.” _I just don’t know if you’ll get adopted by Minseok,_ he thinks to himself, not daring to say the that aloud.

 

The words at least seem to improve Chanyeol’s mood slightly, and he leans into Jongin’s touch as a small smile pulls at his lips. “Thanks, Jongin.”

 

Although what Jongin says does help him feel a bit better, there’s still a doubtful voice in the back of his mind telling him that while he has a decent chance of getting adopted, he has no chance of being adopted by _Minseok._ Adoption is a big thing, and Chanyeol would love a place to call _home,_ but as of late, he’s been wanting that home to be with the cute man who wants a _cat hybrid._

 

For the rest of the afternoon that Jongin is there, Chanyeol tries his best to keep a smile on his face, ears perky and nubby tail wagging, maintain his happy image even if he finds himself staring longingly at the door to the shop.

 

___

 

Chanyeol’s mind is still preoccupied with thoughts of Minseok and adoption when he leaves his pen to get food. He considers popping by the kitchen and taking his food back to his pen (thankfully the pens are more comparable to smaller rooms than actual pens and have real furniture where he can lounge), but not really feeling up to hearing about the topic of adoption at the moment. He ultimately decides against it when he sees familiar hybrids gathered around the tables. Perhaps chatting will get his mind off things, rather than wallowing in misery by himself and inevitably stressing himself out more than he’d like to.  

 

Placing a few items on his plate, he checks the open area in an attempt at finding a seat. He moves towards a table with a few hybrids whose enclosures are close to his, talking with them was usually good company, until he hears a quiet whisper that sounds a lot like _Chanyeol,_ and _guy who keeps dropping by._ Chanyeol decides to steer clear of that conversation (both figuratively and literally) and decides to instead sit himself at a lone table across the way. Whatever he _thought_ he heard, he decides to ignore because there’s absolutely no use in getting worked up over something he isn't even entirely positive was accurate.

 

The next few minutes of his meal seem to go smoothly, his tail wagging in content and ears perky, twitching every so often with the sound of clattering utensils and plates. For a pet shop, the food wasn't as bad as one would think. It wasn’t the best food out there, but it had flavor and was actually pretty healthy, so Chanyeol couldn’t complain. He’d been blissfully working on his parfait until something one of the hybrids says catches his attention. Slowing his chewing, his ears twitch back in interest as he focuses on the conversation of the table beside him.

 

“...and he keeps coming by.” One of the hybrids whisper. He’s a silver tabby, his tail flicking every few seconds with interest.

 

“Oh, that’s horrible. Poor Chanyeol.” a female rabbit hybrid responds quietly, holding a hand over her mouth. Despite how dramatic the action appears, her eyes are sincere and Chanyeol feels a bit better knowing that  _someone_ at least feels for him, even a little.

 

“I know right,” another dog hybrid responds. He’s a beagle hybrid who happens to have his pen right beside Chanyeol’s. “Who does that guy think he is, leading on a hybrid like that? What a piece of shit…”

 

In that moment, Chanyeol kind of forgets what exactly took place over the next few seconds. His body goes on autopilot, and before he can even register his hands balled into fists and shaking in anger, or how his hackles are raised and his ears are pressed flat against his mess of white hair, he’s already up from the table, leaning towards the other hybrid as he struggles to keep himself from shouting.

 

“Don’t talk about him that way!” Chanyeol growls, eyes narrowed as he stares down the other hybrid. The room falls silent as hybrids and employees alike stare on in shock. Seeing Chanyeol, usually so docile and friendly, standing eyes narrowed like he’s _ready_ to fight is something that leaves everyone stunned.

 

The beagle hybrid turns from the table and regards Chanyeol with a confused expression, looking unnaturally calm for being in front of a  _very angry very big_ dog hybrid. “Why are you getting mad? You said it yourself, he lost interest in you as soon as he found out you were a dog hybrid.”

 

Chanyeol feels his fists uncurl slightly, and he feels a slight pang in his chest. The other is right, that’s exactly what Chanyeol had said. But while he was joking to take away the hurt at the time, hearing it coming from someone else feels like a slap to the face. “Well….I mean…”

 

“Yeol, he hasn’t even adopted you. You’re loyal to a guy who isn’t even your _owner.”_

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widen as soon as he hears the words, the hurt evident in his expression, but he isn’t standing in astonishment for long before he lunges forward and curls a hand into the hybrid’s shirt, pulling him up from the table and close until their faces are inches apart. Never before has Chanyeol looked as intimidating as people would imagine, up until now. His pointed ears are pressed so far back to his head that he almost appears human, and he’s growling so loud he sees the people around him flinch at the sound.

 

“He may not want anything to do with me, but don’t you _dare_ talk about Minseok like that.” Is all Chanyeol can get in, before staff finally unfreeze to pull the two from each other before any real damage is done. Thankfully, Chanyeol doesn’t fight as they pull him back and escort him out of the dining area. Looking over his back, he sees a few other employees talking to the beagle hybrid, and feels himself huff in satisfaction when he sees the long tail tucked in between the other’s legs.

 

While he doesn’t get in trouble -it really _wasn’t_ his fault- he does get temporarily moved to a different pen, one that isn’t visible in the front of the shop, an area that people usually need to get permission from staff to see. The area usually houses sick or injured hybrids, or in Chanyeol’s case, an area to cool off for the next few days.

 

The only things he has with him from his own pen are some of his blankets, and his rilakkuma plush. Eyes downcast and ears drooped, he picks at the loose threading on the blankets atop the small lounge he’ll be calling his bed for the next few days. After an hour of sitting there, he falls into the stiff bedding, curling his blanket around him and hugging his plush tightly.

 

The words from the other hybrid play over and over in his head, almost in a nagging manner, the repeated _You’re loyal to a guy who isn’t even your owner_ only serving to make Chanyeol feel worse than he does.

 

Sleep doesn’t come easy for Chanyeol, that night.

 

__

 

Chanyeol wasn’t always at the shop.

 

There was a time when he hadn’t been familiar with shops that sold hybrids, or the employees who made their rounds every hour to clean and care for the hybrids inside it. Actually, for most of Chanyeol’s life, he had kind of been a stray.

 

For a good majority of his life, he’d managed to scrape by doing various random tasks for whatever money he could get, had snuck into random places and made friends in order to keep off the streets, for a few days at least before moving on.

 

It hadn’t been until he was older that Chanyeol had the closest thing to an owner that he’d ever had.

 

An elderly woman who had lived on a quiet street had seen Chanyeol walking around, cold from the winter breeze, and had beckoned him over, offering him a hot cup of tea and a scarf and jacket to fight the cold. Chanyeol wasn’t a stranger to kindness, but he was shocked how generous this elderly woman was.

 

Since then, every time he’d pass the neighborhood, she’d invite him over and they’d talk. She’d give Chanyeol food and clothes she’d knit herself. And even when the weather would reach its extremes, she’d offer him a place to stay in her cozy little backyard house to protect him from the elements. It wasn’t large or extravagant, it was originally a large shed meant to store gardening tools, but Chanyeol had transformed it into somewhat of a livable space, complete with a hammock to sleep on and a few other things to make it comfortable enough for the few days he’d stay.

 

Chanyeol would’ve just slept in her house on a couch, but he felt like for the things she’d done for him already, that’d be askingtoo much. Besides, she had a house full of cats that already disliked a large _dog_ hybrid constantly being over, it’d cause more trouble than it was worth to have him inside.

 

However, the woman would leave, _family complications,_ she had said as she looked back once more at the now _empty_ house, her bags already packed and loaded into her car. Before she left, she gave Chanyeol one last sad smile and a pet to the head, telling him to be good, before driving off.

 

While Chanyeol was sad to see the one person who _really_ cared about him leave, he knew that without a place to stay, and no way of supporting himself, he’d be back on the streets. From there, he had opted to look for a job, sending in multiple applications to multiple places, all in the hopes of getting hired.

 

Any bit of money would help, even if it wasn’t much, as long as he’d be able to get a place of his own. But jobs for hybrids were far and few between, and even if Chanyeol was more than willing to do whatever work he could get, he knew that he’d almost always lose a job to a qualified human. Or a human in general.

 

It was then around that time when an employee from the shop had pulled over, spotting Chanyeol dozing off on a park bench, and had offered to take him to the shop. It wasn’t a home, but at least he would have a roof over his head and food.

 

Since then, Chanyeol had never really been bothered with not having been adopted, or having an owner. But with the cute feline-eyed man who had been dropping by as of late, Chanyeol can’t help but feel a longing in his chest, the need to know just _what_ it feels like to have a home, to have someone who’ll care for him.

  
He doesn't care to admit that he's fantasized _many times_ about what living with Minseok would be like. Minseok looks like a man satisfied with simple things, so maybe he'd have a nice little apartment. Whenever he visits the shop, he always looks very put together and clean cut, and Chanyeol laughs because he can definitely imagine the man being the same way with his belongings in his home. But more than just wondering what his home looks like, he thinks about just being  _adopted_ by Minseok.

 

Chanyeol likes to imagine that even though Minseok is cat person, that he wouldn't mind Chanyeol's constant need for physical affection, giving in with that warm smile of his as he runs his fingers through Chanyeol's hair. He thinks about how nice it would be to just relax with Minseok on a lazy afternoon, the two cuddled up on a couch as they watch movies and chat casually. He wonders if Minseok is a morning person, someone who'll wake up early to watch the sunrise like Chanyeol does, or if he's more of a night-owl, choosing to stay up late into the evening and watch as the moonlight casts a beautiful glow on everything.

 

And perhaps the hybrid  _may_ have managed to catch a bit of a crush on the man, but aside from that, more than  _anything_ , Chanyeol wishes that some miracle will occur, and Minseok will choose to take him home.

 

It's the only thing that keeps Chanyeol somewhat hopeful.

 

___

 

When Minseok enters the shop, the first thing he notices is Chanyeol empty pen. It's by instinct that he fears the worst, but takes a second to be rational before jumping to any conclusions. Chanyeol was probably cleaning himself, or eating. It isn’t uncommon for hybrids to be out of their pens, anyways. Perhaps he was in the back with the employees?

 

Minseok had to admit, although he’s a _cat_ person, the pharaoh hound hybrid has been on his mind ever since he first spotted him all those months ago. He isn’t too big on the kind of excessive affection that dogs seem to always have on hand, but for some reason, if it's Chanyeol showering him with excessive affection, he doesn't think he'll mind at all. 

 

The past few days, he's been having thoughts of having such a lovable and playful hybrid like Chanyeol in his home, the thought of having someone he can take care of and that will cuddle up to him being something he finds himself imagining a lot. Imagines what it would be like to come home to someone  _waiting_ for him. Chanyeol seems like the type to do that, get excited and tackle Minseok in a flurry of hugs and affectionate nuzzles. It's a thought that brings a smile to Minseok's face.

 

And while he’s been telling himself that the only reason _why_ he even comes to the shop is to see if any Korean bobtails are available, when he knows that the  _actual_ reason this whole time was just because he wanted to see _Chanyeol._

 

Curious, he walks over to the employee desk, surprised to see someone other than Jongin. Realistically, it makes complete sense since Jongin doesn’t _live_ here and of course there’s other employees here too, but with how frequently he comes, he’s used to seeing the sleepy-eyed man giving him a wave with another _welcome back, Hyung_ . He scans the man briefly and sees the tag hanging from his shirt. _Kyungsoo,_ is what is says, the large letters written neatly onto the tag.

 

“Uh, hi there, I was just wondering about a certain hybrid you guys had?” For once, Minseok finds himself oddly nervous. Just the thought of Chanyeol gone, having already been _adopted_ sends his stomach into knots.

 

The employee turns to him, his wide eyes looking over Minseok for a second, before nodding. “Yes, how can I help you, sir?”

 

“Yeah um, that pharaoh hound hybrid you had back there,” Minseok turns to point at the now empty pen beside the toy rack, “Is he still here? Or...or has he been adopted yet?”

 

The man thinks to himself for a moment, eyes narrowing as he tries to recall the information. “Ah, I remember him. He hasn’t been adopted yet, actually. He got in a tiff with the other hybrids, so we’re just giving them space now to cool off.”

 

Minseok unconsciously lets out a sigh of relief, before realizing what the man had said.

 

Even though he doesn’t know Chanyeol personally, he knows that the precious, happy-go-lucky dog hybrid isn’t the kind to _just_ get into fights with other people. Knowing how out of character this is for the other, he asks Kyungsoo what the fight had been about.

 

“I’m not sure exactly, but Chanyeol seemed really upset. The other hybrids and employees had said it was because they said some things about some man by the name of Minseok, and Chanyeol had gotten upset and defended him.”

 

Minseok has to keep from screwing his face up, his chest clenching uncomfortably. This whole time he’d had no intention of adopting Chanyeol, had gotten the hybrid’s hopes up again and again with each visit he made. Chanyeol had already known that Minseok didn’t want him, yet he had still defended Minseok. Regardless of how wrong he had done the pharaoh hound hybrid, Chanyeol had gotten into a fight defending _him._

 

He realizes a few seconds later that he's staring off into the wall lost in his thoughts, and straightens himself before giving the other a curt nod. "Thanks for letting me know. Have a good night." He says, before he's leaving the shop.

 

That night, Minseok returns home with a guilty conscious, mind filled with thoughts on the precious hybrid. His heart clenches as he imagines how _lonely_   and _dejected_ Chanyeol must have felt, how much it must have hurt to see Minseok come in again and again, and barely even bat him an eye.

 

It’s not an idea that requires a lot of thought (after months of visiting the shop, Minseok doesn’t need much time to give it thought), but that night, he decides that _tomorrow_ he’s finally going to go in and adopt Chanyeol.

 

___

 

Just as promised, Minseok is back at the hybrid shop first thing that morning. He seems more chipper than usual, in a good enough mood where he even has an extra cup of coffee ready, to which he places on the front desk in front of Jongin, who takes it with a wide grin.

 

When he makes his way towards the dog section, he’s relieved to see Chanyeol is back, his brown pointed ears and cute nubby tail sticking out of his comforters a clear indicator that that is indeed the pharaoh hound hybrid. Excitedly, Minseok goes up to the glass of the pen, gently knocking on the glass despite the sign on the window saying otherwise. The hybrid doesn’t turn to look at him.

 

At first, Minseok thinks that Chanyeol must be asleep, but he knows well enough by now that Chanyeol’s usually awake around this time, and he can see the other moving occasionally, his ears twitching more than they would if he were sleeping.

 

It takes a few minutes for Minseok to get Chanyeol to turn around and look at him, and a few minutes longer to convince Chanyeol to come over to the door where Minseok is. He takes a few steps back when Chanyeol allows the door to open, and Minseok to get a good look at him.

 

The hybrid isn’t happy, his ears not held as high, and his usual smile and positive attitude nowhere to be seen. Concerned, Minseok places his coffee on a nearby shelf as he crouches so he's not standing over Chanyeol, who's still seated on the floor looking crestfallen as he hugs his comforter tighter around him.

 

"Chanyeol," Minseok says gently, "What's the matter?" When Chanyeol just seems to allow his gaze to fall further to the floor, Minseok tries again. "Another employee told me you had gotten in a fight. Is everything okay?"

 

Chanyeol's ears twitch before flattening agains this head, his gaze hesitantly creeping up to see Minseok's face. The hybrid doesn't seem as reluctant to talk as he sees that Minseok appears to be  _genuinely_ worried. It takes a few seconds at first, Chanyeol hesitating to find the right words, before he finally speaks.

 

“I just got so mad about what they said about you, because you’re really nice and even though you didn’t want me, I couldn’t help but get happy every time you came in. But I guess that maybe you started to ignore me because I was being annoying? They were right, I guess. I figured I should’ve just given up since you aren’t going to adopt me.” He utters quietly as he draws his knees to his chest.

 

Chanyeol admitting it so casually shocks Minseok, and the man instantly feels bad as soon as he hears the words come from the other’s mouth. He begins to feel even worse when Chanyeol’s pout deepens, and his lip wobbles, looking like he’s about to cry. He buries his head in his knees as his eyes begin to water.

 

“Oh no, Chanyeol....” Minseok whispers. He sinks to his knees, almost level with Chanyeol, but not quite since the hybrid still seems to be taller than him despite him sitting down. Gently, the pulls the other into a hug, one to which Chanyeol melts into, nuzzling Minseok’s neck and wrapping his arms around his chest. Minseok can feel himself smiling as he tightens the hug, running a comforting hand through the white locks of hair, stopping and scratching behind a large ear, which earns him an adorable hum from Chanyeol.

 

“Minseok…” Chanyeol mumbles, pulling away reluctantly as he shyly looks up at the human, “I’m sorry I-”

 

“Don’t apologize.” Minseok smiles, watching with fond eyes as he feels Chanyeol, despite his efforts, nuzzles further into the embrace. After a few moments, he stands to brush the dust off his pants.

 

Chanyeol gives him one last pitiful, sad look as he pulls back before making his way back into his pen. Minseok gives him a confused look.

 

“Chanyeol, where are you going?” He asks, eyebrow quirked as he watches the hybrid.

 

“Um...I’m going back in my pen?” Chanyeol answers meekly.

 

“No you’re not.”

 

It’s Chanyeol’s turn to look confused. He does that thing where he tilts his head in question, and Minseok feels a warm bubbling in his chest.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Minseok’s somewhat serious expression turns to a charming smile, one that has Chanyeol’s face heating up. “Why would you be going back to your pen if you’re supposed to be coming home with me?”

 

The sheer speed at which Chanyeol stands up almost causes him to trip over his blankets, but Minseok catches him before he can fall and lay waste to anything nearby.

 

“Wait, hold on-- you mean….You’re really adopting me?” Chanyeol asks, his eyes wide. The way the bottom of his shirt moves is an indicator to how fast his tail is wagging. It’s so cute, Minseok can’t help but let his smile grow more.

 

“Yup," he says, gently caressing Chanyeol's cheek. He laughs as Chanyeol whines happily and presses his cheek further into Minseok's warm palm.  
You may not be a bobtail, but you’re all I need, Chanyeol.”

 

__

 

The entire time Chanyeol’s with Minseok at the front desk, he’s hugging Minseok, rubbing his cheek onto the other’s hair and mumbling a mantra of _thank you thank you thank you Minseok_ into the other’s shoulder while the man signs paperwork. Minseok, even being so unused to all of the affection at once, simply laughs, scratching at Chanyeol’s ear with his free hand and watching in amusement as the hybrid lets out a satisfied sound.

 

Their happiness must be infectious, because Jongin is all smiles as he watches Chanyeol bounce excitedly as Minseok puts his signature on the last page.

 

“Hey, make sure you visit again, okay? Who else am I supposed to share my chicken with?” Jongin says, as he helps carry the rest of Chanyeol’s stuff out to Minseok’s car.

 

Minseok snorts. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back. I have a feeling that _this one,”_ Minseok points to Chanyeol, “Is going to be spoiled.” Even though Minseok is quite the minimalist, keeping to buying only what he needs, he doesn't mind the thought of spoiling Chanyeol if it means seeing the hybrid happy.

 

And even if Chanyeol feels a bit of sadness leaving the pet shop, watching from Minseok’s rear view mirror as Jongin waves at them, he can’t help but feel the excitement, the joy, the _bliss_ of being adopted, and not only that, but being adopted by _Minseok_.

 

And when they finally pull up to Minseok’s charming little apartment, the realization finally sets in when Minseok pulls him into a side hug, and says, “Welcome home, Chanyeol” to which Chanyeol _almost_ ends up crying.

 

(Chanyeol does end up crying).

  
_**The End.** _


End file.
